Back in 1994
I caved to the recommendations of a number of m cousins and bought The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan,
the first book in The Wheel of Time
series (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon). I have always been a big reader
and The Eye of the World was not my
first venture into fantasy, but I still have to consider it to be my ‘gateway
drug’ into the world of fantasy reading. I lost many hours reading away in my
dorm room. I blew my meager budget buying up the rest of the books that were
available at the time. And when I finished reading those I immediately began my
first re-read of the series, the first of many, though I now do re-listens with
the audiobooks. So you must realize that A
Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, the 14th
and final book in The Wheel of Time
series (Indiebound, Book Depository, Amazon), is the book I’ve looked forward
to reading the most in my life. These characters have become my friends as the
books bring the comfort of nostalgia. Over the years this series has led me to
the internet, led me to discussing these and other books on message boards,
which inspired me to start a blog, where I can interview authors, through which
I’ve had the opportunity to interact with many and have dinner with Brandon
Sanderson, which eventually gave me the opportunity to read the final book in the
series just a little earlier than pretty much every other fan. The ending that
I’ve so craved to know – I know it now. It is awesome. It does justice to the
millions of words leading up to it. It is appropriate. And now I mourn, yes
mourn for the end of The Wheel of Time.
While I can always reread (or re-listen to) the books, the end has come. I’m
just remembering the times. The series is over now. That part of my life has
truly passed. At the same time I celebrate the series and all that it has
brought to me, I do mourn its passing, though more often with a celebratory
drink than tears.
He came like the wind,
like the wind touched everything, and like the wind was gone.
Now some of
you are probably asking why I chose to begin this post as I did – this is
supposed to be a review a book, no more. Well, it is more, and if you are
looking for a simple review for the concluding volume of a fantasy series, you
will need to look elsewhere. Few things in my life have been with me as long as
this series. Few things have consumed the time and mental energy in my life as
this series has. Few things have I waited for with more desire. I cannot simply
review this book or even this series (though I will try) without touching on
the relationship I have with it. I know that many fans will be able to relate.
Others may understand without relating. Others will simply roll their eyes, not
understanding at all (though I imagine they already gave up if they ever
started reading this in the first place). With and through this series I have
grown from teenager entering college into a husband and father, a homeowner
with a mortgage, a respected contributor to my industry, and a mid-list
blogger. It’s a journey that’s been shared, a journey that has reached an
ending.
Note: I have
not included what I would consider spoilers in this review. I do discuss some
events and some of the advanced information that is widely available for those
who look. I do discuss some of the more ‘thematic’ developments of the book. I
do discuss my reaction to them. I don’t consider anything that I am writing
about to be spoilers, but some fans may disagree. Consider this a warning –
while most people will consider this spoiler-free, some disagree on the
details. In this separate post, I blatantly throw around spoilers and my
reactions to them – but this review is ‘safe’ territory.
OK, so let’s
get to it. Did I like A Memory of Light?
Do I think the series ended well? How did Sanderson do with the final volume?
I loved A Memory of Light. I think it ended well
and appropriately. For me, I can easily say it’s the best conclusion to a
fantasy series that I’ve ever read. However, the paragraphs above should put my
opinion in the context it deserves – that of a crazy and dedicated fan who has
been reading and rereading this series for nearly 20 years. I think that
Sanderson did a wonderful and admirable job in a very difficult situation. No,
he did not do things exactly the way Jordan would have – he couldn’t have, and
thankfully, he didn’t try. He finished off the series as Jordan wanted – he
honored what Jordan had done, he incorporated the ideas Jordan left behind and
he filled in the blanks as best as he could.
The
criticisms that some have of Sanderson’s handling of the final three Wheel of Time books will all hold up
here. There are plenty of what people are terming ‘Brandonisms’. Sanderson
breaks the 4th wall several times, seemingly speaking directly to
the hard-core fans and theorists of the series. His relative lack of subtly in
comparison to Jordan continues. Those who criticize the way Sanderson has
broken out the timeline and presented the story may become extra ornery on the
issue as there is a ‘get out of jail free card’ with time itself breaking down,
especially the closer one is to the bore. Some of the characters still feel off
– Matt at times, Aviendha, and others. But, it’s not always a bad thing. For
example, Sanderson breathes fresh air into the character of Talmanes, rounding
him out and making him whole rather than a cardboard cutout. Talmanes leading
the Band through the battle of Caemlyn is simply awesome, and Jordan would have
never written something like that. And it’s becoming increasing clear to me
that many fans over overly eager to blame Sanderson for things that most likely
are almost all Jordan in their origin – just how many ‘Brandonisms’ are simply
‘WOTisms’?
One of my
biggest criticisms of Jordan’s writing is the way he finishes off the books.
Basically, there is meticulous build-up of events, carefully setting up the
climatic moments of his books. But too often the climax itself, the ending, the
culmination of all that build-up feels rushed, or anti-climatic in its brevity.
One way of looking at A Memory of Light
is that we’ve now had 13 books of build-up and now we are at the payoff, when
all that has been built up comes crashing down. Is it rushed? Yes, but not to
the same degree as others. A Memory of
Light is easily the most action-packed book in the series. In a series where
it can be easily argued that there are far too many wasted words, A Memory of Light has very few, if any –
even as it clocks in at 909 pages. All of the necessary pieces are here, though
I would have been a bit happier with some more.
Jordan spent
a lot of time on side-plots, many will argue way too much time was spent on
them. Unfortunately, many of these were sidelined in this final book. It’s not
that I crave the resolution to each of these – I realize that not everything
should be resolved. However, I would have liked at least one sort of concluding
point of view from each character we had become invested in during the series,
even the relatively minor characters. For example – something from some the few
remaining Black Ajah hunters, or the factions within the Aes Sedai rebels that
we endlessly followed. Etc. There were also several confrontations that have
been set up for quite a while that never materialized. I realize that this
would have been nearly impossible to fit into the book, but I can still wish
for it and consider it missed opportunities as often an extra line or paragraph
would have been enough to satisfy me (but certainly not all). Of course, where
we do get this sort of revelation (and there are several), it is sort of
jarring to the flow of the story (see the discussion on ‘Brandonisms’ above).
So, perhaps the balance is just right and it’s simply the invested fan in me
always wanting more.
However, my
above criticisms are really very minor when compared to my overall feeling
toward the book. Sanderson did a great job finishing things up. Jordan’s final
scene, which I understand is printed pretty well exactly as Jordan first wrote
it, is a perfect ending to the series. Though admittedly, if parsed out of
context it won’t hold up well. And the main character ARCs – Rand, Egwene, Mat
and Perrin all hold up well. They finish appropriately and honestly, even with
a bit of teasing. But be warned, there isn’t the happy Harry Potter Epilogue
where we get a view in the future of how perfectly things are in the future.
The Wheel turns, an age ends, and the story with it – but the world is not finished,
more events will happen and many of our beloved characters have a future that
we will not see.
The phrase
‘laughter and tears’ comes up often in the series, and laughter and tears sums
up my reaction to the book as well. After playing such a big part in my life
for nearly 20 years, I have a lot invested. Seeing the end game play out was
and continues to be an emotional experience for me. Yes, I did laugh at Mat and
Gual and Rand and Vanin and Talmanes. They provide some good times. And yes, I
shed tears at Mat and Rand and Perrin and Egwene and Loial and Lan and many
others. They were tears of joy and sorrow, but always with a bit of
celebration. Because even the sorrow is celebratory in this book. In case you
haven’t guessed it, I will reveal the biggest spoiler possible (one that Jordan
revealed years ago, so it’s not really anything surprising): the good guys win.
The Light is victorious. There are deaths. The fight didn’t go exactly as
planned for any of the good guys. But they win. And in that victory come even
more tears of joy and sorrow.
Throughout
the series, Jordan has explored many themes – be it a take on archetypes, myth
and legend, communication, sacrifice, predestination, original sin, triumph
over adversity, good versus evil, duality, etc. – there is one theme that
dominates the final volume: letting go. Letting go of guilt, hate, anger, what
one cannot control, certainty, prophesy, predestination, inevitability, etc.
It’s been there since the beginning – the void, embracing saidar, seizing
saidin – these are all examples of letting go in one way or another. But in A Memory of Light, the message is
delivered in the form of father figures. Two of the three central characters we
have been following since the beginning learn this lesson as it’s taught to
them by the father figures in their lives. It’s very well done and will provide
a few tears for the fans out there, though in all honesty, I would have preferred
the inclusion of a more concrete example with one of the female characters to
balance out the wheel.
So, the
wheel has turned. An ending has come. Jordan may have left the world
prematurely, but his vision lived on through his widow, Harriet, Sanderson and
the rest of Team Jordan. A part of my life feels complete. The same part of my
life feels a bit lost as it is now a thing of the past. It brought me laughter
and tears and years of good memories. I will listen to the tale again. I will
discuss it more. And it will fade away. But the ending was as it should be. I’m
torn with half wanting more – the promised prequels, the outriggers, more short
stories, etc. and the other half knowing that it ended as it should. Fans have
craved and dreaded the moment of the end. They will love it and they will mourn
for it. It will be celebrated. The Wheel
of Time is a classic epic fantasy and it will be remembered. And now fans
everywhere will experience the end and know that it is good.
“There are
no endings, and never will be endings, to the turning of the Wheel of Time.”
“But it was an ending”
Thank you
Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Team Jordan and all of the fans I’ve had the
pleasure of interacting with over the years. It is an ending…but it’s a
beginning too.
EDIT: Thanks to the folks over at Macmillan Audio I have an audio sample from Chapter 3 to share with (no big spoilers). I love the audiobooks and have been using them as 're-reads' for years, so give it a shot.
